Kim Jong Il, North Korea's mercurial and enigmatic leader, died after 17 years in power of heart failure on Saturday at age 69, while carrying out official duties on a train trip. His sudden death has elicited a wide range of responses from people around the world.

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Dec. 19, 2011: North Korean women cry after learning of the death of their leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea.

(AP)

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Dec. 19, 2011: A South Korean Army soldier watches the Northern side after news reporting the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il at a guard post in the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea in Goseong, South Korea.

(AP)

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Dec. 19, 2011: Korean immigrant Steve Park, 57, points to a photo of Kim Jong Il printed on a newspaper while talking to his friend at a McDonald's restaurant in Los Angeles.

(AP)

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Dec. 19, 2011: South Koreans watch a news reporting about the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on TV screens at the Yongsan Electronic shop in Seoul, South Korea.

(AP)

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Dec. 19, 2011: North Korean women cry after learning death of their leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea.

(AP)

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Dec. 19. 2011: Hundreds of North Koreans gather to mourn the death of their leader Kim Jong Il in front of a giant statue of his father Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea's news agency reported Monday that he had died at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday after having a heart attack on a train, adding that he had been treated for cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases for a long time.

World Reacts to News of Kim Jong Il's Death

Kim Jong Il, North Korea's mercurial and enigmatic leader, died after 17 years in power of heart failure on Saturday at age 69, while carrying out official duties on a train trip. His sudden death has elicited a wide range of responses from people around the world.